Friday, May 29, 2009

Do You See What I See?

What I see is FREEDOM!!!




It took us a year to come up with the money to fence in our yard... and sure... it cost more than twice what Mr F's car cost. And yes we emptied out what little savings we had accumulated since selling his Volvo... but it is worth it. Because as I thought more and more about it if we didn't have a fence one of these hooligans was going to get hit by a car and we'd have to empty out our emergency fund for an ACTUAL emergency anyway.

There is no amount of money that can buy the peace I feel being able to let the dog out or the kids go out and play without having to hover over them. Did I ever tell you that twice, on two separate occasions since we've lived here, crazy people have DRIVEN UP OVER THE SIDEWALK AND DOWN OUR YARD in order to bypass a slight a back up in the road? Or that our property has both front and back access to roads? Or that Canine routinely chases neighborhood cats out of our yard and into the road. Or that Baby has no danger judgement and will just walk right out in the road? Or that there is a weird man who walks along the sidewalk ,super slowly, playing an unplugged electric guitar?

People I needed this. I needed to be able to go to the bathroom, answer the phone, stir dinner... without having a freaking heart attack.

34 comments:

Julie said...

awesome. worth every penny.

Elizabeth said...

That is just *miles* of fence!

Poor Canine, when did he start looking so old and shakey?

now you can totally tell them "Just go outside!" and do what you want!
(or at least you'll be able to do that when Baby's a little bigger)

Mr Furious said...

CAnine just looks old and shaky because they sheared him like a sheep. A week ago he was looking like a shaggy badass sheepdog, and was a real headturner.

Which, immediately turns into "so matted that we have to cut it all off."

We waited too long to get him to the groomer. Now, he's an embarrassment.

Mr Furious said...

I, too, am positively giddy about the fence. It looks awesome.

Chrissy said...

"good fences make good neighbors"

I like a defined space for my kid and dog. There's nothing like peace of mind knowing that your kids are safe within your own yard. Keep in the people you want and keep out the people you don't.

hicktowndiva said...

Seriously, I have thought to myself MANY, MANY times this spring that there is no greater luxury than a fenced yard for the parent of a toddler.

It's totally worth every single freakin' penny. I love my fence. Enjoy it.

Nutmeg said...

I'm just amazed that your kids will allow you to be out of their sight while they play in the yard!

A fenced in yard is a beautiful thing. Ours is chain link and we hate it but let me tell you.. when your lot is 45 ft wide and 200 feet deep... fencing it with anything else is pretty much out of the question budget wise... I'm completely jealous of your gorgeous fence.

Mrs Furious said...

Nutmeg,
Yeah. Ours is 112 x 127. We only had to do the front, one full side and one 1/4 side the rest has shambly wire fence that we can just staple to this one... and it was just over 3500. We are now down to no savings and it was a big decision. The only way to do it cheaper would have been for Mr F to do it... and well... it's been a year and that hasn't happened yet. ;) It was killing me to have paid for that extra lot and then not be able to use it. For some reason here chain link and wood are the same price. I thought it would be cheaper. Bonus for us though I guess.

My kids love to be out of my sight. Kid wouldn't without Baby with her she needs the company... Baby will just go out and do her own thing. It's fantastic!

Michelle said...

I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!! I am envious! I want a fence!!!

Michelle :)

Mrs Furious said...

Elizabeth,
Yeah Putty just looks like a douche because of his cut. He is ridiculously skinny he only weighs 17 pounds but he's almost a medium sized height dog... his hair adds like 20 pounds to his frame.

Chrissy,
"Keep in the people you want and keep out the people you don't."
I am hoping it keeps out neighbor girl. ;)


Hicktowndiva,
"there is no greater luxury than a fenced yard for the parent of a toddler."
It is so true. I didn't even know how stressed I really was until I no longer had to worry.


Supermom,
Well if you do get one we really liked our fence guy... and his quote was about 1/3 less than Asheville Fence.

angie said...

good idea. good decision. amazing yard. for here too :-)

nate misses canine, but now can say he's in north carolina. we want him back.

Torey said...

Pretty and functional!!! Go you!!

Chrissy said...

Sorry Mrs F - the neighbor girl will probably cut a hole in the fence to get in...those kids have a way of infiltrating no matter what you do!

**I was actually thinking about the unplugged electric guitar playing wanderer when I wrote that not the terror that is the neighbor girl! :)

Nutmeg said...

Wow... awesome price!

That is totally amazing. I would do it for that price. (After we fix the roof and the sewer line! HAHAHA)

Maybe E. will get older and more bold and less needy.

Now when I'm out of the room for more than 30 seconds if he doesn't start screaming and crying he shouts "Mama, where are you?"

So happy you get a little freedom!

and haha about neighbor girl.

Anonymous said...

love it!! definitely worth every penny! ours is only partially fenced and we are hoping to add to it this year..it is so worth it to not have to drag everyone in when someone has to pee!

gooddog said...

You know what? That is a CLEAR quality of life thing. And it looks killer. Great move in my opinion! Congrats and enjoy :)

Kiki said...

Your yard is HUGE....no wonder you needed a fence!!! You'll need the piece of mind this brings!!

Elizabeth said...

Dogs without hair: hilarious!

Have you *seen* the dachshunds wet? they look like rats!

Oh... right... debilitating rodent phobia. Pretend I didn't say that.

Mrs Furious said...

Chrissy,
Oh that man gives me the creeps. Something is not right.

I'm also happy to keep out the random loose dogs... and their dog shit!


Nutmeg,
I'm sure everything is a bit cheaper here... but wood would probably be first among them. I couldn't believe chain link wouldn't be cheaper... but it's not.

And Kid was/is exactly like that. Thank God we had Baby because she satisfies Kid's need for companionship. She literally won't go in the yard without someone.


Angie,
You can have him ;)


Gooddog,
I completely agree. I'm glad we could do it now and take advantage of it all summer.

Mrs Furious said...

Maire,
I hope you get it. The peeing etc is the worst. You just want them to be able to stay out and engaged and every time that is disrupted they would say "can we watch TV?"


Kiki,
I am SO happy to have it!


Elizabeth,
Oh yes I am always shocked what dogs with "hair" look like without it. It is kind of disgusting.

Claire said...

Love the fence - defines the space - is protective - but still adds charm to your home!

inkelywinkely said...

I want one so badly...so my inlaws cannot come into my yard and pull up on a damned tractor and rev the engine and wake me up, they can't see what is going on at my house, and I can actually go outside without just wanted to kill the whole town for being ultra nosey.

Oh, and to allow a child to play outside without feeling like I am dying when I cannot find him for like 210 minutes, and he is in the woodline, where we have alligators, wild hogs, rattlesnakes, cotton mouths, alligator snapping turtles, black bears, cougars, coyotes, you name it.

Oh, to have a fence.

I want a 20 ft high stone one. :)

Mrs Furious said...

Claire,
Thanks!


Inkelywinkely,
Holy Moly!!! I don't think I could live under those conditions... and I don't just mean the in laws ;)

inkelywinkely said...

LOL. I have never lived anywhere else, so I am used to it.

The laws... some I can deal with, some I love, some I hate.

I am libertarian, though...an oddity around these parts. I say if you ain't bothering me, I don't hate you. ..and that is about it. :)

inkelywinkely said...

LOL. I have never lived anywhere else, so I am used to it.

The laws... some I can deal with, some I love, some I hate.

I am libertarian, though...an oddity around these parts. I say if you ain't bothering me, I don't hate you. ..and that is about it. :)

Heather said...

This is so awesome -- I'm so excited for you!

Heather said...

PS Canine looks like a totally different dog!

Mrs Furious said...

Heather,
I didn't even recognize him when I went to pick him up at the groomers. They gave me some tude about "we love to see the expression on owner's faces when their dogs have been dematted" WTF lady? I've had him for 10 years he's a bichon they get mats you don't have to make him look like a loser... why the pom pom tail? Short is one thing... short snout and long fluffy ears = poodle. It's a slap in the face to male dog.


inkelywinkely,
I don't think I could ever be used to it... way too many predators!!!

inkelywinkely said...

Of the people or animal type? LOL.

I am of the persuasion that we have an equal amount of both. :D

Mrs Furious said...

Inkelywinkely,
The animals!!! We were all talking about it at dinner tonight. Kid wanted me to go over and over all the deadly animals in your proximity... then she wanted to know what I would do if there was a rattlesnake in our yard... I said "move!"

But I'd also move if there were in laws in my yard ;)

inkelywinkely said...

LOL!

Tell kid that I can email her the info to your address.

The punk is 6, and all the little kids around here think it is cool. Tell her that hubby and punk swim with the alligators and catch them. :)

Debbie said...

The fence was a good call. For all you Moms out there ... kids aren't sdupposed to be left unsupervised outside until the age of 6.

Missives From Suburbia said...

This is me being jealous.

Missives From Suburbia said...

Oh, and I am so tempted to post a photo of our Malamute after he had to be shaved from a bad round of, "OMG! They brought a baby home, and my human mother has abandoned me for it, so now I must chew myself madly until I matte my fur beyond repair." I can assure you that one glimpse of that lightbulb head on that cartoon body would make Canine feel like a stud in relative comparison.

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